Deceased Rampal (file photo)
Deceased Rampal was a cobbler running a tiny shop
Eyewitness in Punjab target killing case commits suicide, family accuses probe agency
Gurminder Singh Grewal
Khanna January 23, 2018: A local resident and a prime eye witness in the target killing of Shiv Sena Durga Gupta allegedly committed suicide on Tuesday by jumping into Sirhind canal.
The deceased Rampal was a cobbler and sole bread winner of the family. He used to run his small shop near the spot where the killing had taken place.
Munish, son of the deceased alleged that his father was upset at being repeatedly being summoned by the National Investigating Agency (NIA) investigating the case which affected their livelihood and caused mental and physical harassment to his father.
When contacted, the NIA DSP, Ranbir Singh Tyagi commented there might be some other reason for the suicide by the eyewitness in this target killing case,
Durga Gupta was shot dead by some unidentified persons on April 23, 2016, at Khanna. A sharp shooter Hardeep Singh Shera and others have already been arrested in the case.
Munish said his father had left home at about 7 am and later called him from a unknown number and told that he was going to commit suicide near Soundha Head in Sirhind Canal alleging harassment he was facing in the ongoing investigation of the case.
After this, the family members reached the spot from where his body was recovered.
Kamlesh, wife of the deceased alleged that her husband often told her that the investigating agency would ruin him. She also claimed to have been told by her husband that he might be detained and taken to Delhi for further investigation.
The deceased also shared that the investigating agency pressurized him to become a witness from prosecution side, she alleged.